As flooding shuts down roads across Western Washington, transportation woes are wreaking havoc on retailers already clobbered by the recession and snow-related closures.

“We need a break,” said Jan Teague, president and CEO of Olympia-based Washington Retail Association. “First it’s snow and now it’s floods — somewhere we need to have a breather.”

Severe weather events can dramatically affect the entire state economy. The December 2007 and January 2008 storms cost almost $75 million in lost economic output and cut state tax revenue by about $3.8 million, according to a study by the state Department of Transportation. Those closures cost about 460 jobs and reduced state residents’ combined personal income by more than $23 million, according to the study.

And the recent snow and current flooding may hurt even more as the state struggles with a recession and dramatic budget shortfall.

Teague said she’s hearing anecdotally that her retailer members have seen holiday sales fall by 8 percent to 10 percent compared to the last holiday season.

Freight forwarders, meanwhile, are worried about the next major holiday, the Jan. 26 Chinese New Year.

“When it gets close to Chinese New Year, it’s a big problem,” said Jocelyn Roemer-Patchen, CEO of Sprint Forwarders in Seattle. “They’re loading up on things for Chinese New Year, and if they miss that window, they don’t want that anymore.”

This is especially difficult for some exports, such as Washington-grown onions, that aren’t refrigerated.

“Transit time is real important, so when they’re stuck over here and they miss a ship, the importers are upset,” she said. “It just creates havoc everywhere.”

In general, the mountain pass closures are contributing to general economic difficulties, Roemer-Patchen said. The state’s three major east-west roadways across the Cascades — Snoqualmie, Stevens and White — all closed Wednesday because of poor weather and avalanche risk.

The state Transportation Department said it may have to close Interstate 5, the state’s main north-south corridor, in Lewis County around midnight because of rising floodwaters.

State officials may also close I-5 north of the Puyallup River bridge in Fife, near Tacoma.

“It means cargo is not moving, and this is a bad time for cargo not to move,” Roemer-Patchen said.

At Totem Ocean Trailer Express in Tacoma, Chief Operating Officer Bill Deaver said he expects some cargo won’t arrive in time to load aboard the vessel Midnight Sun, which leaves for Anchorage, Alaska, late Wednesday.

If that cargo isn’t loaded, it will have to wait for the Northstar on Jan. 9.

“Many customers could be impacted by this. Any time the freeway shuts down, it’s not good,” he said.

Even auto body shops are being compromised, because they can’t get parts to finish cars.

Harold Raczynski, owner of Collision Masters LLC in Kirkland, said about one-quarter of the cars his shop is working on are being delayed because they can’t get a part.

Many parts-supply warehouses are in Portland, and parts shipments to Seattle are stuck on I-5, he said.

“It’s definitely taking its toll,” he said.

On the bright side, some of those particularly vulnerable to freight disruptions had enough advance notice to prepare. PCC Natural Markets ordered three extra days’ worth of fresh produce, said Russ Ruby, director of merchandising for the nine-store grocery chain. PCC prepared for closures for the second half of the week, he said.

“If it blocks off I-5 for more than four or five days, we’ll start to run light,” he said.

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